By Kagondu Njagi
NKUTHIKA, Kenya, Nov 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – After selling another bundle of firewood to his latest customer, Augustinoa Kinyua whistled as he made his way back to the spot where he had been preparing his field for planting.
Usually, Kinyua supports his family by growing and selling crops such as maize, beans and bananas on his farm in the central Kenyan village of Nkuthika.
But these days, he finds there is more money in firewood, as families hit by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic turn away from natural gas toward more affordable, readily available wood for cooking and heating their homes.
“My customers tell me they prefer using wood fuel rather than cooking gas because firewood is cheaper,” the 42-year-old farmer said. “This is why I have entered the firewood business.”
With families tightening their budgets, firewood sales are booming in Kenya, a trend that officials say will make it harder to reach a national goal of having at least 10% of the country covered by forest by 2022.
Currently, 7% of Kenya is forested – and environmental groups say more than 5 million trees are cut down every day for firewood, charcoal or other purposes.
“The rising use of firewood is a sign that the country is deviating from its green growth pathway,” Keriako Tobiko, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Kenya’s unemployment rate has almost doubled since the start of the pandemic to more than 10%, according to the latest government statistics.
Struggling families are switching to wood and charcoal, which are cheaper and more accessible than other fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), said Nelson Muiru, director of Kijabe Environment Volunteers, a local charity.
Many Kenyans who can no longer afford fresh meat and vegetables are eating more maize and beans – foods that take longer to cook and so require more fuel, Muiru explained.
“These meals cost more for a family to make using LPG and electricity compared to when they are using firewood,” he said.
